


Like Magnets

by shipper_of_all



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Feelings, M/M, Modern Era, Post-Canon, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-09 02:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8872141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipper_of_all/pseuds/shipper_of_all
Summary: The reincarnation of Arthur hundreds of years after his death. Merlin is there for him, after waiting for him, alone, for all those years. Feelings from the past come back up, and stuff goes down. (;





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a real short chapter, I apologize. I hope it's enough for now.

        It had been years. Hundreds. Merlin stopped counting when Gwen, the last of his Camelot family, died. After Gwen, he wanted to give up so badly. He was so close to ending it, but the words of Killagahra kept replaying in his mind and he couldn't shake the feeling that Arthur would return. So he waited. He passes Avalon everyday for hundreds of years, waiting for Arthur to emerge. But as more and more years passed, and Merlin lost track of time even further, he stopped looking for Arthur when he passed. Eventually, he even stopped looking at the lake and tower. He knew he would just be disappointed.  
      This day was no different. Autumn approached quickly, so the air was brisk against his skin. Every inch of Merlin's body was covered in thick yet very tattered fabric except his face; which would have been cold if not for the long beard he had let grow once he gave up hiding his age. Merlin was in the middle of his daily walk past Avalon. He paused briefly right next to the lake, but he ever turned to even glance at the tower, and he just continued walking. Nothing new. No sword. No Arthur. Not even a pebble out of place.  
Merlin spent his days in a small town not far from the now old, worn down house he had managed to purchase and maintain hundreds of years before. The town was small enough that he was well known for being the sad old man who lived in the shack down the road and came into town every day for a cup of tea; but Merlin used his magic to make sure that no one would question how he has stayed alive through so many generations. Since he lived in a tiny, beat up house, and was so well known, the owner of the diner where Merlin spent most of his days always gave him tea on the house. Most people gave him food as well, but when hard times hit again, he used his magic to keep himself safe. Merlin didn’t like to use his magic much as more time passed. It reminded him too much of the past and how far and out of reach it was. He only ever used his magic when when it was absolutely necessary for his safety, or the safety of others.  
     After passing Avalon as usual, Merlin traveled solemnly down the road to the diner for his daily cup of tea. He participated in the casual conversation and idly listened to the news, glancing occasionally at the screen. He used to come into town purely out of necessity for food and clothing, but as more and more years passed, he began to search for entertainment and… solace, there. Merlin’s whimsical sensibilities never truly went away, and the people of the town found him very pleasant. He always loses track of time while in town (not that he had a very good track record to begin with), visiting with the townspeople, watching the news. He did anything to distract himself from thoughts of Arthur.  
    He had been working on his last cup of tea when sirens began to sound in progression towards the diner, and suddenly, an ambulance shot down the only street of the town, and continued on its way. An old woman sitting in a booth behind Merlin spoke,  
    “My god. I mean, I know their work is important, but do they have to be so loud? My damned hearing aids almost popped out!”  
    “Yes, Jane. They have to let people know to get out of the way.” Merlin responded, turning to face the old woman who always flirted shamelessly with him and loved swearing almost more than she loved coffee. Almost.  
    “Oh sure, Merle, my love. Whatever you say. But next time that thing passes and my hearing aids burst in my head, you can pay the medical bill.”  
Merlin just smirked and turned back on his stool, taking another swig of his almost empty tea. Without warning, the tiny screen on the back counter of the diner lit up with a bright blue “BREAKING NEWS” screen.  
    “We reach you now, from what is known as Avalon Lake,” this instantly caught Merlin’s attention, and he demanded for the volume to be turned up. “where an unconscious man has been discovered on the shore. We have a statement, from the man who found him.” stated a newsman. He then pointed his boxed microphone towards a portly old man with a full beard and glasses.  
   “Yeah well, I was out here fishing and before I could even get my gear, I saw him, just lying there on his stomach, on the rocks. I called for the medics and now I’m here. I sure hope he’s okay.”  
    “Yes, riveting story, The man is about to be taken to the Dorset County Hospital and is currently in stable condition.” Behind the reporter, the ambulance was in view, loading the man into the back, on a gurney. “He has not yet been identified. If you know this man, please contact the Dorset County Hospital.”  
    A picture of a young man with light blonde hair and a structured jaw with closed eyes was displayed on the small screen, and Merlin knew instantly who it was. He’d been waiting for years, decades, generations, but he’d never forget that face.

    It was Arthur.


	2. Chapter 2

    Merlin became frantic. He didn’t know how yet, but he was going to get to that hospital. His eyes began to water. He quickly stood up from his stool and started to walk back and forth in the diner, touching random stools and tables, trying to figure out his next step and to tie himself back down to reality. He had to make sure he was still awake, and that everything was real before he could really focus.  
    “Uh, Merle? You alright man?” Asked the clearly concerned owner of the diner, Eileen.  
    “No. No, I uh, I have to get to that hospital. I have to... I…” He continued to pace between the bar and booths.  
    “What are you talking about? Do you know that guy?” Asked a very perplexed Eileen. Meanwhile, Merlin continued to pace between tables and mumble to himself about things that didn't make sense. "Merle, mate. What's going on?  
    “That man on the news, I know him. I know him. It's him. I have to get to him, I have to.” He seemed to be having trouble breathing as he spoke, and he kept repeating himself for some reason. Merlin was clearly freaking out, and no one really knew how to handle the mental breakdown of the sweet old man who everyone knew but no one really knew anything about.  
    Merlin was too busy practically hyperventilating to think about any of that though. He was much more concerned about the man he had seen on the news. He knew it was Arthur. After all those years and how hard he"d tried to forget everything about Camelot because of all the pain it brought him, he could still never forget that face. The face that he saw for the first time and knew could only belong to the arrogant prat that was “Prince Arthur Pendragon”. The face that had looked so disgusted when Merlin first became his servant. The face that gradually became a source of kinship and whimsy. The face that grew softer when looking into Merlin's eyes, and became an immense source of solace and comfort for him. The face that Merlin had lied to for so many years, and the face that he loved for so many years, and the face that he had to watch die as he held him in his arms. It was undoubtedly the face of Arthur Pendragon, and Merlin was going to find him.  
    "Where is that hospital?" Merlin asked, clearly and with an evident purpose to all those in the diner.  
    "About five kilometers that way." Responded Eileen, pointing towards the direction from where the ambulance had come only 10 minutes before. Apparently it had passed the diner again on its way to the hospital, but in his panic, Merlin hadn't noticed. "That's a long way there on foot. You want me to give you ride there?" As Merlin contemplated this offer which he would usually refuse, he realized that he had no choice but to make an exception in this moment. He wanted nothing more than to be in that hospital, next to Arthur as soon as possible. He needed it. So in a regretful, out of breath, and still frantic manor, Merlin accepted the offer and was on his way to the hospital in Eileen's car. He did a pretty great job of not back seat driving, but inside he was screaming, "Go faster! God, please, just go faster!" He suspected that Eileen could sense his tension in her speed, because she did her best to maintain a speed just far enough above the limit to remain safe. Though the hospital was not at all that far from the diner, every second he sat in that car felt like an eternity. In reality, the ride to the hospital only lasted about 5 minutes, but that was more than enough time for Merlin to think of over 100 ways that everything could go wrong. He could have mistaken the face somehow for someone who is not, and never has been Arthur. Or maybe he really is Arthur, but he has no memory of Camelot or Merlin. Or possibly he has all his memories, but he becomes horribly depressed when he realizes everything he once knew and loved is gone. But then of course there is always the thing that Killgahra said about Arthur only returning in "Albion's greatest time of need", meaning that Arthur is only back because England is about to be in deep shit. Oh but then there's also the possibility that....  
    "Alright Merle, we're here. Do you want me to go in with you?" Eileen could hardly complete her sentence before Merlin flung himself out of the car. Of course he is too considerate of other people's feelings to not reply, and he quickly turned towards the open window and said, "Thank you so much, Eileen, my dear woman for the ride, but I think it's best if I do this alone. I'll see you again." He then saluted informally, and turned his back to the car, and almost sprinted into the hospital.  
Instantly, he was lost and confused yet again. He knew that before he could have enough time to lose himself again, he would have to make his next move quickly. Merlin briskly walked over to the front desk of the small hospital.  
    “Hello. I’m here about the man who was brought in from Avalon. Where is he?” Again, Merlin tried his best to maintain a calm tone despite the undeniable anxiety and impatience boiling over inside of him.  
    “Okay, and how do you know the patient?” The attendant behind the desk asked casually, pressing random buttons on the old computer in front of her.  
    “I um. I just do. It’s hard to explain. Can you please just let me see him?” The urgency in his voice began to seep through. “Please.”  
    “Sir, it’s just a standard procedure question. I can’t let you through until you tell me how you know the patient.” The attendant could hear the trembles in Merlin’s tone as he spoke. “But hey, you could just lie and I would never know.” She looked to Merlin with a warm expression. “So, how do you know the patient?” He had to think. In all his excitement, Merlin had forgotten practically everything about who he had become in his lifetime after Camelot. Mostly the fact that he was an old man. He had to briefly bring himself back to the moment, in order to think clearly and swiftly of appropriate responses. He took a deep breath before deciding on an answer.  
    “I’m his grandfather.” He finally spoke in response after a pause that would have been awkward if not for the current situation.  
    “Okay.” The attendant smiled in response. “Well before I can take you to see your grandson, I’m gonna have to let the officers know so that they can ask you a few more questions.” Instantly, Merlin's heart began to beat faster. After all these years successfully avoiding suspicions, of course Arthur would be the one to cause his involvement with the authorities. He didn't have much more time to freak out about the police before two were walking towards him, one with a small notepad in hand.  
    “Hello sir. Are you familiar with the patient?” Inquired the officer, not holding the notepad.  
    “Uh, yes. Yes, I know him.” Merlin's heart was already beginning to beat, somehow even more rapidly than it already had been. He tried his best to mentally prepare himself for the myriad of questions the officers were about to ask him.  
    “Okay, well then my partner and I are gonna have to ask you a few questions then, just so we can get all the information about this guy, alright? It won't take long at all as long as you cooperate. Sound good?” Asked the same officer as before, looking at Merlin for agreement.  
    “Yeah, Yes. I'll answer anything as long as you just let me see him.”  
    “Alright. Well, for starters, how do you know the man that was discovered by Avalon Lake?” The notepad officer had his pen ready for Merlin's response.  
    “He's um, he's my grandson.” The words still sounded so strange coming out of his mouth that he had a very hard time saying them without pausing. Arthur would scoff if he were here.  
    “Okay, and what is his name? And what’s your name?. First and last please.” Merlin, again, paused before he could answer. He had already changed his old-timey, unfitting to the modern world, name from “Merlin” to “Merle”, but he had never been asked for a last name. He certainly couldn't go with “Emrys”, as that would no doubt raise more questions that might get in the way of him seeing Arthur. So without thinking too much about a good fake name, he decided he would go with-  
    “My name is Merle Smith. And my grandson's name is...” He knew it was him. He had said it so many times in his head, but Merlin found it very hard to say it out loud. As if that would either make it really true, or verify his insanity. “Arthur... S-Smith.” Merlin was also smart enough to know that “Pendragon” was a mystical enough name to raise even more questions than “Emrys” would have. The officer was writing down the half fake names Merlin had given him, when a nurse came up to the other officer and told him that “the patient is still unconscious, but he is stable.” This only added to the constant buildup Merlin felt every second he wasn’t with Arthur.  
    “Okay, thank you very much nurse.” The officer turned back towards Merlin, hopefully to finish up the questions. “Alright Mr. Smith, I know you must be very anxious to see your grandson so I just have one final question for now and then we’ll let you in to see him. Do you have any idea why your grandson might have been where he was when we found him? Anything at all?” For some reason, this hadn’t been a question for which had Merlin prepared. He knew Arthur would come from Avalon when he returned, but he had no idea how to explain anything to the police. There was no way he could tell them that Arthur had died there hundreds of years before and now he was reincarnated to rule Albion again. That would not go well.  
    “Well, I haven’t seen my grandson in many years. I don’t really know what he’s mixed up in so he could have been there for any reason. I’m sorry.” At this point, Merlin was pretty deep into his character. He knew there was no turning back now, so he went all in, in an attempt to shorten the time he had to wait until he could see Arthur.  
    “Alright, well thank you for answering our questions. We’ll let you go see you grandson now. Don’t go too far for now though, in case we have any more questions.”  
The nurse from before who never really left, nodded at Merlin to get his attention. Merlin stepped toward the nurse and followed her down the small, bright hospital hallway. His stomach, which had already been flipping non-stop, seemed to speed up and reverse. His heart, which was already racing, somehow got faster, then stopped altogether anytime the nurse paused even slightly. They had passed five or six doors on each side of the hall when the nurse finally stopped in front of room 115 whose door was open. It felt as if Merlin’s heart had stopped, but then he realized it was beating so fast that it felt like it wasn’t beating at all. Then it started to beat so hard that he could feel his pulse on the surface of his skin without even remotely focusing on it. The nurse stepped aside and gently waved Merlin into the room.  
    “He’s asleep for now, but he should be awake soon.” Said the nurse, softly with a gentle smile. Merlin took deep breath, and stepped into the room. He was there. It was him. It was Arthur. Merlin stepped closer to the bed, slowly, until he was standing directly over Arthur. Tears began to well up in Merlin’s eyes. The reality of the situation was finally setting in. After the hundreds of years he had waited, Arthur was finally back, and he was right there. Right in front of Merlin. So close, he could touch him; and he did. Merlin gently brought his hand up to graze Arthur’s still arm. He was real. He could feel the warmth under his fingers. The tears that had previously just sat in Merlin’s eyes started to spill onto his cheeks as he squeezed Arthur’s arm gently.  
    He looked down from Arthur’s face to his hand on Arthur’s arm. It was then that he remembered he still looked like an old man, and if Arthur were to wake up at this moment, he wouldn’t recognize Merlin. He turned to look out the window to the hallway, making sure that no one was around. He shut the door to the small room, closed the blinds, and wrapped the curtain around Arthur’s hospital bed. Merlin pulled the only chair in the room right next to the bed, and prepared himself for the first real spell he will have performed for many years. He took one more deep breath, stood next to the chair, and spoke the incantation.  
“Edniwe min geoguð.” Seemingly more powerful than he remembered, Merlin was hit by a rush of air, and his long gray hair began to turn back to its original black while also receding back into his head. His beard did the same, and his skin started to tighten and smooth out. He had forgotten how strange that felt. It almost made him sick. The rush of air hit him again as the spell came to an end.  
    He blinked hard, trying to regain focus on the moment when he heard a soft groan from the hospital bed next to him. He quickly came down to Arthur as he slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the bright artificial light above his head. Once he had finally gotten his eyes open all the way, he looked over at the body standing next to him first.  
    “Merlin?”  
    That was all Merlin needed to hear. To know that Arthur recognized him was all that he needed in that moment, and he practically fell on top of Arthur in sudden relief. He wrapped his arms around him tightly and felt a deep ache in his stomach, as though if he ever let go of Arthur, he would snap in half. So despite the groans of confusion coming from Arthur below him, he held on as tight as he could, for as long as he could. Merlin really just needed to stay in this moment for as long as possible, because he knew that as soon as he let go, things would get complicated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took me so long. I'm a pro at procrastinating and homework is a bitch...

        As Merlin held on to Arthur, the ache in his stomach somehow lightened, and got way more intense at the same time. This is what he imagined magnets felt like. Before they touch, they are pulled together by some strong, invisible force, and then once they finally come together, the bond between them becomes so strong that it takes an effort to break them apart. Like magnets come together, every muscle in Merlin’s body felt bonded tight, like he was meant to be there, with Arthur.  
        “Uh, Merlin? What’s going on?” Arthur asked with a groan. Merlin took a deep breath and released himself from Arthur. He slowly sat back in his chair, but still remained as close to Arthur as possible, and he just stared, soaking in all of Arthur’s features as much as he could, mostly his eyes. God how he’d missed those eyes. Subconsciously, Merlin had a large grin on his face that he wouldn’t be able to wipe off if he tried. His hand had also made its way onto Arthur’s hand, and was squeezing. Merlin was so busy looking at Arthur, that his words had completely escaped his perception. “Merlin?!”  
        “Oh Arthur, you’re finally back, you have no idea how long I’ve waited.” Just like when Merlin told Arthur of his magic, Merlin began to tear up. “You’ve been gone for so long.”  
        “How long?”  
        “Okay, hold on, before we go there, can you tell me the last thing you remember?” Merlin was now conscious of his hand on Arthur’s but he couldn’t move it away, and Arthur hadn’t objected yet.  
        “You… you killed Morgana, then, you tried to carry me to the lake but I couldn’t make it. I was dying and…” Arthur released his furrowed brows and looked up from his hands, to meet Merlin’s eyes. “You were holding me.” Merlin lightly brushed his thumb against Arthur’s hand, and smiled gently at him. Arthur didn’t object to the touch, but he did his best not to acknowledge it. “What happened?”  
Merlin moved closer to Arthur, and maneuvered his other hand so that he was caressing Arthur’s hand between his own.  
        “Okay.” Merlin breathed in heavily in preparation for what he was about to say. “You died.” He wasn’t really sure where to go from there, and it was already difficult for him to talk about. “But before you ask, I have no idea how, or why you’re back, I’m just happy you are. Things are very different now though. It’s been hundreds of years since you left me.” Tears, again, spilled over his eyelids in heavy pools. He took another deep breath before continuing. Each time he spoke, it became harder to get the words out as he was choking up more and more. “Everyone’s gone. It’s just me.” Merlin could no longer look at Arthur, and had to tip his face downwards squint the tears away from his eyes. Arthur pulled his hand away from Merlin’s just as he had done when Merlin told him that he had magic.  
        “Guinevere?” Arthur asked with a shaky voice. Merlin simply nodded, the thought bringing a new wave of tears pouring from his eyes.  
        “I’m so sorry Arthur.” Merlin looked back up at Arthur, and reached for his hand again. “She spoke of you every day until she died. She never remarried. And the kingdom lived on in your legacy because of her. She was happy.” Arthur looked back up into Merlin’s eyes as he spoke. “I was with her everyday. She lived a long life. I made sure of that.” Arthur brought his free hand, shaking slightly, up to clear the tears away from Merlin's cheeks. He wiped gently at the damp skin under Merlin’s eyes with his thumb.  
        “Thank you, Merlin.” Arthur lowered his hand down from Merlin’s face, and rested it down upon Merlin’s hand. They sat there like that as Merlin continued to cry. He had been holding back those tears for so long, that it seemed there was no possible way to stop them now that they had started. Having his hand held by Arthur seemed to help though. Arthur looked at Merlin as he cried, even though Merlin’s head was pointed towards his legs. Now it was Arthur’s turn to take Merlin in. He seemed different. Physically, he seemed almost exactly the same, aside from his clothes of course, but there was something off about him that Arthur couldn’t quite place. That, and the bright, white, unnatural light that burned above his head, confirmed to Arthur that he was in another time that was not his own. “Merlin, I know this must be extremely difficult for you to talk about, but I have many more questions that you will need to answer.”  
        Just then, there came a loud knock on the door, before it was suddenly opened, Merlin had no time to explain before he spoke the words “Miht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum” and he transformed back into an old man right in front of Arthur. The nurse who had led him into the room pulled back the curtain the moment that Merlin had sat back in his chair and let go of Arthur’s hands.  
       “Everything okay in here?” She asked with a fake smile plastered on her face.  
       “Oh yes, thank you.” Merlin answered quickly.  
       “Oh good. I just saw that all the blinds were closed and the door was shut so I had to come and check in on you to make sure everything was alright.” She must have sensed the tension and the immense confusion from Arthur due to his wide eyes. “I see that the patient is awake. Do you mind if I ask you a few quick questions?” Arthur looked at Merlin for an answer with a shocked expression.  
        “Uh, Ma’am, if I may?” Merlin paused and waited for approval from the nurse. “My grandson has not fully come back from this whole experience, and is having some trouble speaking, so I will do my best to answer for him if you’ll let me.”  
        “Wait, why is he having trouble speaking?” The nurse looked over at Arthur. “Does it hurt to speak?” Before Arthur could even think of a response, Merlin jumped back in.  
        “Did I say he’s having trouble speaking? That’s not at all what I meant. I meant to say that he is having trouble finding the right words.” Merlin smiled nervously. “So since his mind is still in the process of returning to full health, I’ll answer the questions for him.”  
The nurse looked skeptical but accepted, and took the pen from her clipboard, and prepared to write all of Merlin’s responses. She looked at Arthur as she asked her questions, but looked back at Merlin as he answered.  
        “Well, first of all, how are you feeling.”  
        “He’s okay. Just sore.”  
        “Where are you sore?”  
        “It’s just an all over, general, non-concerning soreness. Nothing to worry about.” Merlin was already beginning to slip up in his anxiety ridden responses. The nurse’s eyes narrowed as she scribbled notes on her clipboard.  
        “When were you last vaccinated?”  
        “Six months ago. I went with him. It was a joint doctor’s visit. Such a good grandson, this one is.” Again, Merlin smiled nervously, and again, the nurse narrowed her eyes at him, and wrote on her clipboard.  
        “Alright, why were you unconscious by the lake?”  
        “Oh, I think Arthur must be terribly tired from all these questions.” Merlin squeezed Arthur’s hand to signal for him to act tired. Still confused and shocked by his new surroundings, Arthur was startled away from his thoughts by the touch, but he understood and responded with a forced yawn. “I think we’d better just let him sleep for now, don’t you agree?”  
        Before the nurse had time to respond, Merlin ushered her back out the door, then he rushed back over to Arthur. He knew they couldn’t stay there any longer. People were already becoming skeptical of them. The plethora of questions of “What if…” bombarded Merlin’s thoughts again. He had always done his best not to fear authority, but there was always a part of him, especially after seeing Uther up close, that was afraid of it. Of course, when Arthur had become king and still remained so close with Merlin, he had let his fear of authority fade away, but after Gwen died, and he had no more powerful, government friends to protect him, the fear crept back in. And when Merlin had to start hiding his age and his life from the world, he became even more frightened of authority. So in this moment, when his life was more out of control and unnatural than it had ever been, he knew that no one would understand, and that if the police, or the nurse, or anyone found out, they would take Arthur away from him. So Merlin quickly began to pull the covers back and prepare himself and Arthur for leaving the hospital.  
        “Wait, wait Merlin. What are you doing? What’s going on? Who was that woman? Where are we?” Arthur paused briefly between questions in an attempt to collect his skewed thoughts.  
        “We are getting out of here. I’ll explain as much as I can once we get somewhere safe.” He paused, looking at Arthur, then scanning the room as he thought of his next move. “We’ll need a disguise, and you’ll need some clothes.” Merlin spoke another incantation, and he returned to his young age. A short, dark, and clean beard grew quickly and fully around his lips, and the rips in his clothing were mended back together on their own.. Then, with just a few more words, Arthur was dressed in modern clothes that seemed to just, materialize, on his body. At the same time, a light beard began to grow around his mouth, and his hair was slicked back.  
        “Okay wait, Merlin. It might have been hundreds of years, like you said, for you. But for me, I just found out that you had magic a couple days ago. Can you maybe take it easy with the sorcery?” Inquired Arthur, while stroking his new beard. Merlin planted his hands on either side of Arthur’s legs as he still lied on the bed, and looked him in the eyes.  
        “I’m sorry Arthur, really. I can’t imagine how jarring this all must be for you, but we can’t stay here. It’s not safe. I don’t have time to babysit you right now.” Merlin swung his arms back and away from Arthur and went to look out the window of the small hospital room. “As I said before, I’ll explain as much as I can on our way to somewhere safer. Just please, trust me.” Merlin then came back to the bed, and reached his hand out towards Arthur in an inviting gesture. “The coast is clear for now. This is our best chance before the police come and ask you more questions.”  
Arthur grabbed Merlin’s hand, and in a rush of adrenaline, they ran through the hospital in a blur of ducking into empty rooms and hiding their eyes from passersby and acting as casual as possible. Before either of them could even think to catch their breath, they were outside the hospital doors. Merlin looked briefly at Arthur, smiled, and then with Arthur’s hand still intertwined with his own, he ran. They ran for only a few seconds, then slowed to a jog, before stopping completely about a block away from the hospital. Merlin, as he’s always been more out of shape than the great “King Arthur Pendragon”, bent over his knees to catch his breath.  
        “Oh come on Merlin. You’ve been on your own for hundreds of years and you're still just as unfit as when I left you.” Arthur slapped Merlin on the back, as he had once said knights did to comfort each other. “Now it’s time for you to answer some questions. First of all, where are we going?”  
“Well, that depends, are you hungry?” Merlin had no food in his house, and after how long he had known Arthur, he felt that he already knew the answer to this question.  
        “Of course I’m hungry Merlin. I, quite literally, haven’t eaten in hundreds of years.”  
        “Okay, well then we’ll go to the diner near my house.”  
        “What on earth is a diner?”  
        “It’s like a tavern, but with less meade and more food.”  
        “Okay. Now tell me what happened to Guinivere. I want every detail from the moment I died. You said you were by her side everyday, so tell me everything.”  
        Merlin stood back up straight, and they began to walk down the road towards Eileen’s diner as Merlin did his best to describe Gwen’s entire life post- Arthur. It was a lot to remember after so many years, but he did a pretty good job. That answer took almost the entire walk to Eileen’s to get through. Afterwards, Arthur asked about the other knights, about Gaius, about Camelot, and about Merlin’s magic. When they got to Eileen’s, Merlin ordered Arthur a cheeseburger, and Merlin had to prove that it was normal and edible by first taking a bite of it. This earned a few strange looks from Eileen and the other customers, but once Arthur took his first bite, he was entranced by the “New-Age flavor”. All the while, Merlin is answering as many questions that Arthur throws at him as he can. This time, the questions were more about what the new modern world is like, but Merlin knew that no matter how much he tried to explain, Arthur would still need lots of time to fully understand everything.  
        “Okay, well last but not least, how am I alive?” Arthur asked after swallowing his last bite of cheeseburger.  
        “I honestly have no idea, but I think we should go somewhere else to talk about that.” Merlin conjured money into his pocket, before placing it on the counter to pay for the burger. “Let’s go.” It took another 15 minutes to walk from Eileen’s to Merlin’s shack, but it was most definitely a sight for sore eyes. Especially in the presence of a king. Merlin meekly walked up to the door, opened it, and gestured for Arthur to follow. With a humble smile, Merlin introduced his home with the classic “Welcome to my… humble abode.”


End file.
